Media Rights Capital and The CW are ready to roll-out their Sunday night primetime programming block for the upcoming fall 2008-09 broadcast television season. The strategic alliance between the two companies will launch with a one-hour narrative reality show, one half-hour family comedy and two one-hour long dramas. The Sunday night block will begin at 6:30 p.m., taking advantage of the traditional family viewing night and expanding the reach of the evolving network. The announcement was made today by MRC co-CEO’s Modi Wiczyk and Asif Satchu and Keith Samples, President, Television, Media Rights Capital, along with CW President of Entertainment Dawn Ostroff and COO John Maatta.

The programs scheduled to premiere in September, 2008 are:

6:30-7:30 IN HARM’S WAY – A reality show that looks at lives of people doing dangerous jobs. Executive Producer is Craig Piligian (”Dirty Jobs,” “American Chopper,” “Survivor”).

7:30 – 8:00 SURVIVING SUBURBIA – Half-hour comedy about a family and their new neighbors. Kevin Abbott is Executive Producer (”Roseanne,” “Grace Under Fire,” “Reba,” “My Name is Earl”).

8:00-9:00 VALENTINE, INC. – One-hour drama/comedy about an agency that finds lost loves, true loves and mends broken hearts. Kevin Murphy is Executive Producer (”Reaper,” “Desperate Housewives”).

9:00-10:00 EASY MONEY – One-hour drama about a family that runs a high-interest loan business. Executive Producers are Andy Schneider and Diane Frolov (”Northern Exposure,” “The Chris Isaak Show,” “The Sopranos”).

All of the shows will begin production, pilot-free, by mid-June. MRC and The CW sales team will begin meeting with advertisers and agencies this week. Consistent with the MRC integrated business model, all five showrunners will participate in the initial meetings to present their creative points of view and hear advertiser needs from the on-set of the creative process.

“Our approach…is simple: when you put talented people like our artist partners and the advertising folks together in a room, they come up with smart and creative solutions to problems. We want them integrated and talking from the beginning,” explained Satchu and Wiczyk.

MRC and the CW will announce Sunday programming for the 5-6:30 p.m. time slot in the near future.

In the season finale of Beauty and the Geek, after a thrilling race across Los Angeles, the winning team was Amanda, the Hawaiian Tropic Model, and Tommy, the Sweater Vest Enthusiast.
Among this season’s challenges, the geeks were in-studio guests with Dr. Drew on the nationally syndicated radio program “Loveline,” while the beauties got all dolled up in their best plumbing outfits and learned to clean clogged pipes. They also joined the geeks for a cameo on the #1 daytime drama “The Young and the Restless.”

From the producing team of Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg (”Punk’d”), the fifth season of The CW’s hit reality show “Beauty and the Geek” originally surprised the contestants when they learned they would be competing not as beauty/geek pairs but beauties vs. geeks.

The show’s executive producers are Jay Bienstock (”Survivor,” “The Apprentice”) and Ghost House Pictures’ Sam Raimi (the “Spider-Man” films, “The Evil Dead” films) and Robert Tapert, (”The Evil Dead” films, “The Grudge” films). Ghost House Pictures’ Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane will produce.

“This series is the first to take the horror movie into the reality world,” said Ostroff. “The action takes contestants on a journey with challenges and games designed to frighten them along the way. Similar to horror films, the challenges will play into our deepest fears and anxieties and will reveal things the contestants never knew about themselves.”

“13 – FEAR IS REAL” is produced by Magic Molehill Productions in association with Jay Bienstock Productions and Ghost House Pictures.

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL, now in its 10th Cycle, is one of the most talked-about shows on television. For the dedicated viewer, it can be tough to keep up with all of the news on the show. Top Model News Central collects the best of the web each day and presents the news in an easy-to-read format.

For the most die-hard Top Model devotees, America’s Next Top Model Trivia should be just as easy. Hosted by the contestants of Cycle 10, the game challenges players to answer questions from every cycle of the show.

For the chance to ask the questions, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL fans need to check out Top Model Spotlight. Following each episode, fans can post their questions for the eliminated model. On Fridays, viewers can check back to watch an interview with the model where she’ll answer questions from the fans.

FARMER WANTS A WIFE has already established itself as a smash hit in numerous countries across Europe, ranking #1 in its timeslot in The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany and Australia.

The show brings ten city women to one charming, hard-working farmer who is happy with his life except for one thing – he’s lacking romance and wondering if he might find happiness and excitement with a woman from the city. Through a series of challenges, group activities, shocking eliminations and cozy dates, the uptown women will soon see how they match up with a down-home guy on the path to true love.

FARMER WANTS A WIFE is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Super Delicious partners Adam Cohen, Cara Tapper and Joanna Vernetti are executive producers. The show is based on the format “Farmer Wants a Wife,” from an idea in the British edition of Country Living magazine, in collaboration with FremantleMedia.

New episodes of freshman sensation GOSSIP GIRL return to The CW schedule beginning Monday, April 21 (8:00-9:00p.m. ET). On April 7, ONE TREE HILL moves to its new night and time on Mondays (9:00-10:00p.m. ET), following GOSSIP GIRL and creating a powerful night of drama for The CW.

With ONE TREE HILL moving to Mondays in April, the climactic final original episodes of PUSSYCAT DOLLS PRESENTS: GIRLICIOUS will air on Wednesdays starting April 9 (9:00-10:00p.m. ET), following AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL.

Through the month of March, original episodes of The CW’s REAPER will follow all-new episodes of SMALLVILLE. On March 25, REAPER returns to Tuesdays (9:00-10:00p.m. ET) following the newest edition of The CW’s hit reality series BEAUTY AND THE GEEK, which premieres March 11 (8:00-9:00p.m. ET).

SUPERNATURAL returns to The CW’s Thursday line-up (9:00-10:00p.m. ET) on April 3.

With new episodes of EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS (8:00-8:30p.m. ET) and ALIENS IN AMERICA (8:30-9:00p.m. ET) currently airing on Sundays, original episodes of THE GAME return to The CW’s comedy block in its new time period beginning Sunday, March 23 (9:00-9:30p.m. ET).

Following is The CW’s midseason schedule:

Monday
8:00-9:00 p.m. GOSSIP GIRL (New Episodes Begin April 21)
9:00-10:00 p.m. ONE TREE HILL (New Time Beginning April 7)

Tuesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. BEAUTY AND THE GEEK (Premieres March 11)
9:00-10:00 p.m. REAPER (New Time Beginning March 25)

Wednesday
8:00-9:00 p.m. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
9:00-10:00 p.m. PUSSYCAT DOLLS PRESENTS: GIRLICIOUS
(New Episodes Beginning April 9)
Thursday
8:00-9:00 p.m. SMALLVILLE
9:00-10:00 p.m. SUPERNATURAL (Returning April 3)

Sunday
7:00-8:00 p.m. AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL Encores
8:00-8:30 p.m. EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS
8:30-9:00 p.m. ALIENS IN AMERICA
9:00-9:30 p.m. THE GAME (New Episodes and New Time Beginning March 23)
9:30-10:00 p.m. GIRLFRIENDS (New Time Beginning March 23)

The network’s most popular series, AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL will return with mega-star Tyra Banks for cycles 11 and 12. Returning dramas include the buzz-worthy freshman hit GOSSIP GIRL and ONE TREE HILL, returning for a sixth season. These three series are the top-ranked shows on television with a concentration of women 18-34 viewers.

Also renewed were the long-running Thursday night team of SMALLVILLE, which will begin its eighth season, and SUPERNATURAL, which will begin its fourth season. In addition, the critically acclaimed comedy EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS will return for season four.

From the producing team of Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg (“Punk’d”), The CW’s hit reality show “Beauty and the Geek” returns with an outrageously competitive fifth season, where the new contestants learn they will be competing not as beauty/geek pairs but beauties vs. geeks. The season premieres Tuesday, March 11 (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET).

The contestants include nine gorgeous but academically impaired women and nine brilliant but socially challenged men. The challenges will test intellect and social skills to give contestants a chance to win the $250,000 grand prize.

Among the new challenges, the geeks will be in-studio guests with Dr. Drew on the nationally syndicated radio program “Loveline” and will learn if they have an eye for fashion when providing make-unders to the beauties. The beauties go where they have never gone before when they get all dolled up in their best plumbing outfits and learn to clean clogged pipes. They also join the geeks for a cameo on the #1 daytime drama “The Young and the Restless.” Each of the previous seasons resulted in an unlikely romantic connection between a beauty and a geek. Don’t miss what happens in the first week of the new season!

Meet the Geeks:
Name: Chris (“M.I.T. Oceanographer”)
Hometown: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Age: 23
Occupation: Student

Name: Greg (“Self Proclaimed ‘Gaysian’”)
Hometown: Azusa, California
Age: 23
Occupation: Clothing Designer/Pastry Chef

Name: Jonathan (“Mama’s Boy”)
Hometown: Colfax, California
Age: 26
Occupation: System Administrator/Technical Consultant

Name: Jim (“Videogame Programmer”)
Hometown: Bedford, Massachusetts
Age: 21
Occupation: Computer Programmer/Student

Name: Joe (“Cowboy”)
Hometown: Nipomo, California
Age: 24
Occupation: TV Assignment Editor

Name: John E. (“Recovering Microsoft Addict”)
Hometown: Tempe, Arizona
Age: 25

Name: Jason (“One Buff Geek”)
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Age: 23
Occupation: Internet Marketer

Name: Matt (“The Poet”)
Hometown: Little Elm, Texas (currently Dallas, Texas)
Age: 21
Occupation: Student/Writer

Name: Tommy (“Sweater Vest Enthusiast”)
Hometown: Somerville, Massachusetts
Age: 24
Occupation: Law Student

Meet the Beauties:
Name: Amanda (“Runway Model”)
Hometown: West Warwick, Rhode Island (currently Queen Creek, Arizona)
Age: 23
Occupation: Model

Name: Amber (“Hawaiian Tropic Model”)
Hometown: Houston, Texas (currently Los Angeles, California)
Age: 25
Occupation: Model

Name: Cara (“Aspiring Soap Star”)
Hometown: Leawood, Kansas (currently Temecula, California)
Age: 21
Occupation: Cocktail Waitress

Name: Jillian (“Playboy Bunny”)
Hometown: Northfield, New Hampshire (currently Miami, Florida)
Age: 22
Occupation: Model

Name: Kristina (“Daddy’s Girl”)
Hometown: Wheaton, Illinois
Age: 21
Occupation: Student

Name: Leticia (“Extreme Sports Model”)
Hometown: Cave City, Kentucky (currently Orlando, Florida)
Age: 29
Occupation: Action Sports Announcer

Name: Randi (“The Navy Diva”)
Hometown: Missouri City, Texas (currently Houston, Texas)
Age: 26
Occupation: Stylist

Name: Tara (“Hooters Hostess”)
Hometown: Davie, Florida
Age: 24
Occupation: Model

Name: Tiffany (“One Tough Mama”)
Hometown: Mclean, Virginia (currently Nashville, Tennessee)
Age: 21
Occupation: Student

“Beauty and the Geek” is from fox21 and is produced by Katalyst Films and 3 Ball Productions with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg (“Guess Who,” “Punk’d”), Nick Santora (“Prison Break,” “The Sopranos”), J.D. Roth (“The Biggest Loser,” “For Love or Money”) and Todd A. Nelson (“The Biggest Loser,” “For Love or Money”).